SUPMO pushing for land, capital

MANZINI - Unemployed people of Eswatini want government to prioritise four out of the 12 demands they tabled at the PM’s Office.

The demands are all for the creation of jobs and were analysed as; land and capital; skills development and training; professionalisation of sports and arts, as well as investing in manufacturing industry.

This was revealed by the unemployed people of Eswatini, in particular the youth, during their assembly, which was organised by the Swaziland Unemployed People’s Movement (SUPMO).

Theme

The assembly was held at Bosco Skills Centre yesterday – under the theme; ‘Fighting unemployment through investing in skills development, manufacturing and professionalisation of sports and arts’.

During their assembly, which was chaired by SUPMO Chairperson Lucky Dlamini, the unemployed people of Eswatini said the statistics which government released regarding unemployment in the country were a cause for concern. They highlighted that the statistics suggested that the unemployment rate stood at about 33.3 per cent, of which 60 per cent were the youth. They added that the statistics also suggested that about 69 per cent of emaSwati were living under the poverty line.

However, they argued that when they looked at the pace at which government was handling the issue of unemployment and poverty in the country, they sensed laxity.

When asked to substantiate their statement, they said history had taught them that emaSwati had built schools and, in some communities, they constructed clinics, among other things. However, they said in schools, government was failing to pay monies for free primary education (FPE) and orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) on time. They also decried the delays in the supply of food to schools. They added that government was also failing to hire enough teachers and, as a result, some schools were understaffed and teachers overworked, which was something that affected the quality of education.

Shortage

Again, they said in hospitals, there was a serious shortage of drugs. They argued that this was despite the fact that emaSwati, including the unemployed, were paying tax every day – value added tax (VAT), among others.

“This means that the people are serving government, yet this should be the other

The Swaziland Unemployed People’s Movement (SUPMO), led by its Chairperson Lucky Dlamini (2nd L), delivered the letter to Prime Minister’s Office, which carried the organisation’s 12 demands to government. way round,” the unemployed youth said.

Once more, they said most of those who were employed, were working in poverty. By this, they said most workers in the country earned slave wages. To substantiate their statement, they argued that a number of workers in the country lived in one-room flats, widely referred to as titimela. They added that some of them even lived in groups of above three, just because they could not afford rent and the cost of living was far higher than what they earned.

They accused government of lacking a clear strategic plan for fighting the unemployment rate in the country, in which the nation should be given periodic updates. Their argument was that sometimes government announced strategies, but failed to give the nation periodic updates, and at the end, it would be difficult for them to gauge if such strategies were successful or not.

They said government should invest in one manufacturing industry because, by so doing, it would add value to the raw material it had and create job opportunities.

One exampled they gave was that the country imported simple things like tissue paper and chalks from South Africa, yet if produced locally, employment opportunities would be created and the goods would be available at cheaper prices.

Invest

In terms of professionalising sports and arts, they said every person had a talent and if government could invest in this sector, by attaching professional coaches in schools and recreational centres, a lot of talent could be exported and money would come back in US Dollars.

They said this was in sync with the siSwati saying; ‘lugotjwa lusemanti’ (it’s easy to teach a child than an adult).

Thereafter, they said regarding skills development and training for jobs creation, government should prioritise establishing and supporting more vocational institutions. They argued that once emaSwati have vocational education and access to starter-packs for businesses, the economy of the country would be in the hands of emaSwati.